Washington, D.C. — A new analysis from the Center for American Progress finds that the number of private sector union elections overseen by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) fell dramatically in 2025 after the Trump administration sidelined the agency responsible for protecting workers’ organizing rights. After union elections increased significantly by the end of the Biden administration, CAP’s analysis finds that their downturn coincides with the Trump administration’s actions to weaken the NLRB.
“The Trump administration has made it harder for workers to exercise their organizing rights,” said Aurelia Glass, policy analyst for the American Worker Project at CAP and author of the analysis. “The administration’s actions didn’t stop workers from wanting unions, but they did make it more difficult for workers to win them.”
Key findings from CAP’s analysis include:
- Fewer union elections: The NLRB oversaw 1,498 union elections in 2025, a 30 percent drop from 2024, when elections reached a 10-year high.
- Fewer workers voting: 59,000 fewer workers participated in NLRB-run elections in 2025, a 42 percent decline from the previous year.
- Lower union win rates: The share of elections won by newly organizing unions fell to just under 70 percent, down from recent highs above 72 percent.
The drop in elections coincided with unprecedented disruption at the NLRB. Early in his second term, President Donald Trump fired a sitting board member, leaving the five-member decisional board without the quorum required to issue rulings for 345 days. As a result, appeals in cases involving alleged illegal firings and other unfair labor practices were left in limbo, weakening enforcement of workers’ rights during active organizing drives.
Despite these setbacks, workers continue organizing through alternative pathways, including voluntary recognition agreements and public sector organizing not overseen by the NLRB. Preliminary data also suggest overall union membership did not decline in 2025, underscoring continued worker demand for collective bargaining.
Read the full analysis: “NLRB-Overseen Union Elections Fell in 2025 Amid Trump Administration Attacks” by Aurelia Glass
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Christian Unkenholz at [email protected].